Pakistan restricts foreign media reporting outside cities

Pakistan's government has told international media to register journalists and seek permission before reporting outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, prompting criticism from rights and media groups.

The information ministry sent a statement on Monday to an international media message group about the permission requirement. Written guidelines published by the ministry said journalists working for international media, including freelancers, should register with the government's external media wing.

Media organisations would then need government Non Objection Certificates for reporting outside the three main cities. It was not clear how widely the guidelines would be enforced or whether penalties would apply.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said Wednesday it was “deeply concerned” by the Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines 2026, saying they would institutionalise bureaucratic control over news gathering and risk deterring independent reporting on public-interest issues.

Local media and rights groups called for the requirements to be withdrawn, saying they would curb reporting and access to information in a country where many major security, environmental and human rights events take place outside the three main urban centres.

Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman referred questions on the rules to the information ministry on Thursday. The information minister and the ministry's external media wing did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

The instructions followed protests and a local election in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where rights groups had raised concerns about press restrictions. The Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday it was monitoring “deteriorating press freedom conditions” there and called on authorities to restore access to information and allow independent reporting.